WiFi Woes and How to Solve Them for Cheap

Now that a vast majority of folks are working from home, a HUGE focus has shifted to home internet and the fun problems people experience. I feel like every other article I read anymore is about how you can solve your home WiFi issues with these 5 simple tricks… Ah, tech writing at its finest.

In today’s post, I’m going to go over the basics of how your home WiFi works, and help you debug some common issues you might be facing. Let’s be abundantly clear though - WiFi is a fickle, complicated thing. Everyone’s situation differs. Walls are made of weird materials and everything from microwaves to your neighbor’s router can interfere with your signal. So just be aware “fixing” your WiFi is a lot of trial and error, but hopefully you can come out of this with some new tools and ideas on how to solve your WiFi woes.

Signal Strength - Connection drops randomly

Is your computer disconnecting from your WiFi network in certain corners of your home or there’s that one dead spot that you really would like WiFi in? If yes, then this section is for you!

You can solve this issue in two ways:

Get a new wireless card for your device with a high-gain antenna for better range
Get a WiFi repeater to repeat your WiFi signal into the far reaches of your home

If you just need a single computer to be able to get better WiFi reception, you can go the easy route and just purchase a WiFi card with a larger antenna for better reception.

https://amzn.to/3mFHixo - This TP Link USB WiFi adapter has a rather large antenna that will help with a router that is far away or between multiple walls
https://amzn.to/2G0ZjFx - Similar to the previous option, but supporting a higher speed if your network can support it

If you need multiple devices to get better reception, your best bet is to invest in a WiFi repeater. These little devices act like a second router and repeat the WiFi signal a second time to broadcast to farther locations.

https://amzn.to/32MRufr - This cheaper Netgear repeater takes over a single wall outlet and will repeat your WiFi. Great for smaller homes and apartments.
https://amzn.to/33HKnUW - This slightly more expensive Netgear repeater has external antenna which will get you some additional range if you need to cover even more space for large homes or detached buildings.

NOTE: When setting up a WiFi Repeater, make sure to place it about half-way between the router and desired location. This way the repeater has a reasonably strong connection back to your actual router.

Slow Speeds - The complicated problem with many solutions

You aren’t having connection cut outs, but your WiFi just feels slower than it should? Buckle in, time to do some diagnostics and figure out what might be the cause.

Let’s get a baseline speed test…

If possible, plug your computer directly into your router/modem with an ethernet cable. This will help eliminate any WiFi variables and give you a good idea of what the real issue is.

If you can’t hardwire your computer, then get as close as you can to your router to perform a speedtest. Again, we are trying to eliminate variables here.

Navigate over to one of the many speed test sites, and get a baseline reading.

Bonus points if you use all three and calculate an average speed.

This speed should represent the “best case scenario” for your ISP. If you are not getting speeds advertised when hardwired or very close to your router, it may be worth giving your ISP a call and explaining the issues you are having.

NOTE: Your speeds will likely never be exactly as advertised. You want to make sure you are getting within 10% of the speed they are quoting.

Example: If you pay for 50Mbps, then you should get about 45 Mbps. If you pay for 1000Mbps, then you should get about 900 Mbps.

How old is your router? Are you using the one that your ISP provides you?

Are you using an ISP provided router?

If so, it may be worth calling them and asking for support. You lease the device from them, so they are responsible for it functioning correctly. You may be entitled for a new device, but you just need to call to see what your options are. It may also be worth asking if your ISP supports you purchasing your own router - This tends to be cheaper in the long run.

Are you using your own router? Great. Here are a few things you can try:

Upgrade the router’s firmware
Google your device’s model number and the word “firmware”. See if any new versions of the router firmware have been released and patch where applicable.
Reboot it - You might be surprised how many weird and silly issues are resolved by restarting your router
Tired of having to do this regularly to resolve issues? It might be time to purchase a new router.
Check the age of your router
Your new devices (like phones and laptops) are built with the latest and greatest WiFi technology, but they are only as fast as your router. If your router is just old, it may not be able to push the speed your devices can handle.
Look for a device that is tagged with AC1750 or higher for a good mix of price and performance

How many devices do you have connected?

If you’re like most people, you probably have a few devices connected at any one time. Really think about every device you have floating around that is connected to your WiFi. Security cameras, smart speakers, cell phones, laptops, game systems, etc.

If you have more than 5 devices and a cheap router, it may just not be able to handle the amount of clients and traffic. Look for a new router tagged with AC1750 or higher for better performance with multiple clients as these routers are guaranteed to have at least a dual-band antenna array.

Speeds are correct, but the internet still feels slow?

If your speeds seem about right but your internet still feels sluggish, you may need to purchase a more expensive internet plan. Each speed tier has a subsequent bandwidth amount hidden behind it. Think of bandwidth as the amount of raw traffic you are allowed to move through your network at any one time. It’s the “pressure” of your home internet. The more simultaneous devices accessing the internet at once, they more “pressure” is on your network. A higher speed tier will come with more bandwidth so you can have more devices active at once. Contact your ISP for more information on this as every ISP’s situation varies.

Relocating your router can improve your WiFi, really?

Sometimes the easy answer is just to move your router to a more central location in your home. The more central you can place your router, the better experience you’re going to have in all corners of your residence. If this isn’t possible, then continue reading on…

Mesh networking to the rescue!?

You may have heard about the mesh networking craze lately due to Eero, Google WiFi, or one of the many other competitors out in the market.

All of these options are pretty expensive, but I will say that you will get a much newer and more powerful router if you choose to go down this path. Instead of buying WiFi extenders or other devices, you just place the second router device somewhere else in the home and your WiFi is extended farther. Adding more range is as easy as buying another device from the manufacturer and syncing it with your current system.

Again, these systems are pretty expensive and you can get similar performance with a decent router and a range extender. But these systems offer seamless setup experiences and mobile apps for easy configuration. Not all consumer routers have these features.

You’ve tried everything, and you’re still having less-than-ideal WiFi…

I’ve heard this issue a lot. Sometimes walls or another neighbor’s router just interferes with your WiFi where nothing beyond a miracle will help. I get it. In these situations, it’s best to consider wireless alternatives for a better experience.

Powerline Adapters - A powerline adapter will transmit a network signal through your home’s electrical wiring instead of relying on WiFi. You plug one in near your router and run an ethernet cable from the router to it. Then you plug another adapter somewhere else in your home and have an ethernet cable run from that adapter to your computer. It completely bypasses the need for WiFi.

https://amzn.to/33SBfwJ - A nicer Netgear powerline kit, let’s you keep the plug that you cover up
https://amzn.to/2RSWcSv - A cheap option to test if powerline makes sense for your home/setup

Getting your home wired for ethernet - This is the most expensive option, but sometimes you just want a reliable connection. A wired connection will always be the most reliable option, and if you need the reliability, I would suggest contacting a few certified electricians to ask for quotes.

Wrapping up

This post was a bit long, but it gives you some debugging ideas when facing WiFi woes. Remember, WiFi is complicated due to the large amount of variables at play. Your situation may not be easily solved, but if you’re stuck, post a comment. We’ll be happy to try to help out.

Looking to replace your router or having WiFi issues? We’re happy to help you with the debugging and setup. Get in touch with us at: https://www.marptech.com/contact